The threat of commercial drones bringing chaos—or even
worse, death and destruction when used in terror attacks—is likely to become a
fixed feature in the coming years, according to assessments by defense
establishments around the world.

In August 2018, explosive drones were used to try and
assassinate the president of Venezuela, injuring several soldiers. The incident
joins a growing number of threats to world leaders involving drones. In 2017,
Israel’s Ben Gurion-Airport also came to a standstill briefly, after drones
approached restricted airspace.

But Israeli defense companies are at the forefront of delivering solutions, as seen by reports saying that the British Army rolled out an anti-drone system, known as Drone Dome, produced by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems.

Aryeh Egozi, a veteran aviation expert and security
correspondent, and the editor in chief of Israel Homeland Security website
(i-HLS), told JNS that Israeli companies are world leaders in solutions to this
growing problem.

“The story is that drones are a huge threat and not one that
is under control. It is possible to buy commercial drones on eBay for $200, and
for $300, you can buy something very sophisticated,” said Egozi.

“These can be attached to half-a-kilogram of explosives and
cause mass panic if they detonate. The threat to civilian and military air
traffic is big,” he stated. “Everyone is worried about this.”

Israel’s defense companies, which have developed advanced
radars and laser systems, are now using these assets to develop counter-drone
systems, noted Egozi. In addition to Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries has
placed its own system, Drone Guard, on the market. Smaller companies in Israel,
like Skylock, also have anti-drone systems for sale.

“Israeli companies have a lot of knowledge in radars and
communications because of Israel’s security needs. Companies here are at the
forefront, no question,” said Egozi.

All of the Israeli systems are based on the ability to
detect drones and jam their frequencies, disabling communications between the
base station and the drone. The jamming systems can also disorient the drone by
cutting it off from satellite communications. The drone would then crash land.
“Some systems enable defenders to take over the drones and land them where they
wish,” said Egozi.

“The more advanced systems, like Drone Dome, have lasers to
burn through the drones,” he added.

In its product description, Rafael said that “in recent
years, there has been a significant increase in the use of low, small and slow
unmanned aerial vehicles.” It described Drone Dome as an effective way to
conduct airspace defense “against hostile drones used by terrorists and
criminals to perform aerial attacks, collect intelligence and carry out
intimidating activities.”

“There will be no
choice but to place systems like this at airports and other sites,” said Egozi.
“There are drones that can take on a 20- to 30-kilogram payload. That is a
flying bomb that can be guided anywhere. Terrorists can arrive in a car, and
before anyone knows it, they can launch an attack,” he warned.

The threat of drones colliding with aircraft also poses a
significant challenge, according to Egozi. “In short, this is a very big
problem. After Gatwick, there will be a big awakening to it. Israeli defense
companies are in contact with many around the world.”

‘An accurate aerial weapon’

In January 2018, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Shachar Shohat, the former commander of the Israeli Air Defense Forces from 2012 to 2015, published an op-ed, in which he warned that non-state hostile actors are going to use drones to help “level the playing field against their enemies.”

Every non-state terrorist group and guerrilla force can arm
itself “with an accurate aerial weapon and use it to attack its target of
choice. So far, the world has been slow to respond,” wrote Shohat. “This has
given the non-state actors their own kind of air force, with the ability to
gather intelligence, drop bombs and communicate beyond line of sight—all for a
low price.”

At the end of 2017, the Israeli cabinet regulated
responsibility for the drone threat, allocating the Israel Defense Forces with
responsibility to deal with drones originating from beyond borders, and the
Israel Police responsibility for dealing with internal drone threats.

The Air Defense Forces has spent years preparing measures against drones, informed Shohat, saying that “since then, the threat has grown exponentially and looks set to grow further in ways that could be difficult to imagine at this time.”

Maritime First Newspaper is a liberal Nigeria maritime online news aggregator and blog. The site offers news, blogs, and original content that covers maritime, politics, business, entertainment, health and safety, interviews, popular media, and local news.
For Inquires: 08023148914, 08069749755